美联社新闻一分钟 2006-07-21

1. American evacuees¹ from Lebanon have arrived safely at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Airport officials say the evacuees are getting help, contacting relatives and making further travel arrangements.

2. President Bush attended the NAACP convention today for the first time since taking office. In an address to the civil rights group, he calls slavery a "stain" yet to be cleaned.

3. Closing arguments in the Andrea Yates trial are set for Monday in Houston. Yates admitted to drowning her five children in 2001. For the second time, she has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity².

4. A 12-foot pet snake in Idaho swallowed an electric blanket, control box in all. His owner says the blanket got tangle³d up in the snake's rabbit dinner. Surgery saved the 60-pound reptile⁵.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. closing argument : n-count
The final factual and legal argument made by each attorney on all sides of a case in a trial prior to a verdict or judgment⁶.

2. insanity : n-uncount
Insanity is the state of being insane.
= madness

3. electric blanket : n-count---电热毯
An electric blanket is a blanket with wires inside it which carry an electric current that keeps the blanket warm.

4. tangle up : phrasal verb
If a person or thing is tangled⁴ up in something such as wire or ropes, they are caught or trapped in it.

1 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

2 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

3 tangle   

n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱

参考例句：

• I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
• If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你，我就不跟他们争吵。

4 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

5 reptile   

n.爬行动物；两栖动物

参考例句：

• The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
• So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以，你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。

6 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。